The 2003 offseason has been a quiet one by traditional standards for the Stars. Usually one of the first teams to run out and grab free agents, the Stars instead signed only minor-league caliber players like Jarrod Skalde and Rob Valicevic, and let prominent players, such as Derian Hatcher, Kirk Muller, and Ulf Dahlen move on to other teams. The defensive corps is looking different than it has for many seasons when Hatcher’s departure and swap of Darryl Sydor for Teppo Numminen are combined. The impetus of both was to try to limit the number of long contracts to non-vital players so that payroll could be limited and spots for prospects could be opened up.
Still, the Stars have a good group of experienced players heading into the NHL preseason. There is still some room for prospects to make some noise, but the open spots are not very numerous.
Prospect Signings
The Stars quiet offseason at the level of the big club has been mirrored in their few prospect signings. To be fair, however, most of the Stars quality prospects are playing in Europe and would be better served by remaining there for the time being. However, during the offseason, the Stars did sign four prospects, with two of them being rather high profile, to entry contracts. In May, Dallas inked WHL standout and 2002 fifth round pick David Bararuk. There was again a quiet period leading up to the IIHF mandated deadline to sign European players under contract when, at the last minute, the Stars came to agreements with SM-Liiga MVP Antti Miettinen and Swedish right winger Mathias Tjärnqvist. The final signing came in August when the Stars inked UN-Omaha goaltender Dan Ellis. In addition, during the summer, John Erskine was re-signed to a one-year contract.
Camp Outlook
With the Stars roster being nearly full already,there is not much room for prospects to make an impact. Here is the roster of the players taking part in training camp.
The forward positions are nearly full going into camp. Already, the Stars have 14 forwards who played in the NHL last season on their active roster. However, some role players, like Claude Lemieux, are not guaranteed roster spots. If any one of those players on the bubble is outperformed in camp, it is possible that their relationship with Dallas will be over. Top prospect Steve Ott was one of those players who played in the NHL last season that is not guaranteed a spot. He trained very hard over the summer and is determined to make the Stars roster out of camp. Out of the prospects competing for a spot, he is the most likely to stick to the roster because of his play last season in the NHL and desire to compete.
A few other forwards should also push
for a
spot
at camp. The most notable of this crop are recent signees Antti
Miettinen
and
Mathias Tjärnqvist. With the pool of natural left wings rather shallow
for
the
Stars, Miettinen may be able to earn himself a spot on the team.
However,
Miettinen must prove that he is capable on the smaller ice at the
faster
pace of
the NHL. He has a good chance to stick, especially if one of the
competing
veterans falls down on the job. Even if he were returned to Utah, he
will
probably see a little NHL action this year.
Tjärnqvist is a wild card
at
camp.
As a right wing, he is buried under many other players, but his
relatively
old
age for a prospect and physical style may make him very attractive as a
player
to be used immediately on the lower lines. He has more to prove than a
player
like Miettinen would, but Tjärnqvist is in the mix as well. However,
Tjärnqvist has a better chance of playing in Utah.
The other prospect
in the
mix would be Barrett Heisten. Heisten has a big hill to climb
after
he
forgettable 2002-03 season, but with an extremely strong camp, he could
latch on
to the roster as well. Recently graduated prospects Steve Gainey and
Marcus
Kristoffersson could push for a spot as well.
The situation with the defense is even more set than that of the forwards. The Stars roster contains seven players who saw NHL action last year. Only one of those players, prospect John Erskine, does not really have a secure spot. Likely, the players in competition for that spot are Erskine and the skilled Trevor Daley. Erskine has a little bit of an inside edge with his more physical game since the Stars got weaker on the blueline over the summer. However, Daley was a part of several training exercises over the summer and could have progressed far enough to threaten Erskine’s hold on the spot. However, Daley is more likely to be starting his professional career in the AHL. On the outside looking in for the battle at this spot are AHL stalwarts like Jeff MacMillan and Dan Jancevski.
Unless Marty Turco decides to go on an extended holdout, the Stars situation in goal will not give any prospects a chance at the NHL club. Turco and Ron Tugnutt are clearly the two goaltenders expected to play in the NHL. However, if Turco’s contract cannot be worked out soon, it could open the door for a young goaltender to get some NHL experience. Likely, it would be Jason Bacashihua, but Mike Smith could force the issue and sneak past the former first round pick. In the end, the training camp in Utah should be a three-way fight for two goalie positions between Bacashihua, Smith, and Dan Ellis, with Ellis lagging a little behind the others because of his lack of professional experience.
Free Agent Invitees
The Stars have invited nine free agents to attend their camp. Out of the nine invited players, Rob Hisey, Brett Lutes, Warren Peters, and Chris St. Jacques posted very good offensive numbers in their previous junior seasons. The invited players and their positions are listed below.
Shawn Degange, G
Rob Hisey, C
Drew
Larman, RW
Brett Lutes, LW
Tyrell Moulton, D
Luke Pelham, LW
Warren
Peters, C
Chris St.
Jacques, C
Chris Schlenker, D
European Prospect News
Overseas, the preseasons are winding down, and the elite leagues are about to start their campaigns. Through the course of the preseasons in Finland and Sweden, the Stars have had a few prospects put together very good performances.
In Sweden, the most productive players were forwards Yared Hagos, Joel Lundqvist, and Loui Eriksson. Hagos, just returning to the SEL after a year in the second tier, had a relatively slow start to the preseason offensively but exploded towards the end, posting several goals and assists for Timrå. Like Hagos, Lundqvist did not have a great start to the preseason, but managed to establish his game later on in the preseason. Because of the strength of his 2002-03 season, Lundqvist was nominated to Sweden’s team for the Ceska Pojistovna Cup, where he was pointless in three games. Eriksson, the first selection in the 2003 Entry Draft by Dallas, has shown admirable scoring touch for Frölunda in the preseason, cementing a spot on the SEL club. Throughout the offseason, Eriksson has also competed for Sweden’s U20 team, and his scoring has been important to the team’s success. He led Sweden in scoring at Lake Placid in August but did not fare so well at the Four Nations U20 tournament in Russia. In the second tier league, Marius Holtet has managed to post a few points for Bofors, some of them on the power play. Forward Janos Vas has not returned to action yet, but expectations are that he could return to the ice within a month under ideal conditions.
Next door in Finland, the biggest noise has come from forward Jussi Jokinen. After returning from Dallas, Jokinen rejoined Kärpät and played in the team’s first two preseason contests, in which he recorded an eye-opening three goals and four assists. In late August, Jokinen was selected for Finland’s Ceska Pojistovna Cup team. In his first Eurotour event, Jokinen managed a single assist, but Finland went on to win the tournament. The other remaining Finnish standouts among Stars prospects, Tuomas Mikkonen and Jarkko A. Immonen, have been hampered by injuries.
Preseason Schedule
The Stars have eight games in their preseason schedule. Three are played on the road, and five are played at home in Dallas. The schedule follows below.
Sept. 18: Away vs. Colorado
Sept.
19:
Home vs. NY
Rangers
Sept. 20: Away vs. St. Louis
Sept. 23: Home vs. St.
Louis
Sept. 25: Away
vs. Chicago
Sept. 27: Home vs. Detroit
Oct. 2: Home vs.
Colorado
Oct. 4: Home
vs. Chicago
New ECHL Affiliation
With the Lexington Men O’War going defunct, the Stars signed an agreement to provide players to the Idaho Steelheads. The Steelheads were in the WCHL, but the two AA leagues merged and they are now in Pacific Division of the ECHL. Among those expected to start the season with the Steelheads is goalie prospect Dan Ellis.
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